The company plans to upload NB-IoT NTN standards into its operational LEO constellation.

Iridium Communications Inc., today announced Project Stardust, the evolution of its direct-to-device (D2D) strategy with 3GPP 5G standards-based Narrowband-Internet of Things (NB-IoT) Non-Terrestrial Network (NB-NTN) service development.

As a new standards-based solution, it will be deployed on Iridium’s existing satellite network giving the company a unique ability to offer both high-quality proprietary and standardized D2D and IoT services to its customers.

The early stages of programming Iridium’s low-Earth orbiting (LEO) satellites offers a special opportunity to smartphone companies, OEMs, chipmakers, mobile network operators (MNO) and related IoT developers to have their requirements woven into the fabric of the Iridium® network. Iridium is already collaborating directly with several of these companies.

“This is an exciting moment for Iridium and is a testament to the flexibility and capability built into our satellite constellation,” said Iridium CEO Matt Desch.

“The industry is moving quickly towards a more standards-based approach, and after surveying the field, we found that we’re the best positioned to lead the way using our own network, particularly given our true global coverage.”

Iridium is designing its initial NB-IoT offering to support 5G NTN messaging and SOS capabilities for smartphones, tablets, cars, and related consumer applications. Adopting the service will enable device manufacturers to add a satellite connection to standardized devices, take advantage of existing, globally allocated and coordinated Iridium spectrum, and provide a superior low-latency LEO user experience. The Iridium network supports approximately 1,300 SOS and emergency (911 or equivalent) incidents per year, around the world and has readily available systems, processes, and partners to implement this capability for new devices.

Iridium understands the market need for its customers to develop and certify products quickly. Applying our established onboarding processes, chipmakers and NB-IoT developers can join Iridium’s ecosystem of about 500 partners, and choose a proprietary, standards-based, or dual-solution integration approach for added network redundancy. MNOs will have the opportunity to be a one-stop shop for ubiquitous coverage and off-grid use cases, with unmatched industry reliability. Iridium partners are supported by a 24/7 customer support, back office, billing, and provisioning system, all ready to support the new service upon launch.

The Iridium satellite constellation’s fully crosslinked, LEO architecture and global L-band spectrum provides a competitive service advantage versus other LEO and geostationary satellite networks. Certified to provide safety of life services by international regulatory bodies, the Iridium network has become the gold standard of reliability and continues to be the only network that provides connectivity everywhere on Earth. Operating in LEO, the Iridium constellation does not suffer from the same line-of-sight limitations, significant power requirements or outages that can affect entire regions from a single satellite as faced by geostationary systems.

The recognized leader in satellite IoT and personal communications, Iridium has more than two decades of experience and an unmatched partner ecosystem supporting more than 2.2 million users around the world. As of the third quarter of 2023, Iridium subscribers have grown at a 15% CAGR over the last five years, and the company serves approximately 1.7 million IoT customers today, including about 900,000 personal trackers and satellite messengers for consumer, enterprise, and government applications. Known for its reliability, coverage, and low power requirements, the Iridium network is an ideal fit for NB-IoT NTN service.

The company is currently working with several D2D and IoT-focused companies to understand and incorporate their use cases, requirements, and end-user needs into its planned service. The company anticipates testing to begin in 2025, with service in 2026.

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Bertrand Moussel, Chair of the Trusted Connectivity Alliance Board, explores why the release of GSMA’s eSIM for IoT Specifications (SGP.31 and SGP.32) is a game-changing development that promises to accelerate the adoption of eSIM technology and unlock the full, transformative potential of the IoT.

The deployment of low-cost, low-power IoT devices at massive scale, such as smart meters, sensors, asset trackers and smart labels, is transforming entire industries by enabling new use-cases, revealing insights and realising efficiencies. The potential is evident, with McKinsey estimating the economic value to be up to $12.6 trillion globally.

Given the need for trusted, reliable and secure mobile connectivity across many of these emerging use-cases, cellular technologies are increasingly being leveraged to connect IoT devices. Global cellular IoT connections grew by 27% year-on-year in 2022 – significantly outstripping the overall growth rate – to account for nearly 20% of all global IoT connections. Looking ahead, the number of deployed cellular IoT devices is set to continue to increase with the new features and enhancements introduced in the latest 5G standards.

As deployments accelerate, demand for eSIM technology is growing to cut through complexity and promote simplified global connectivity and advanced security. In fact, GSMA Intelligence reports that 83% of organisations identify eSIM as important to the success of future IoT deployments.

Advancing Remote SIM Provisioning for the IoT

A key benefit of eSIM technology is that it is supported by an advanced, mature infrastructure that promotes interoperability and security, as profiles are remotely managed in accordance with GSMA’s well-established Remote SIM Provisioning Specifications for Consumer and M2M Devices.

Yet the growth of the massive IoT ecosystem presents unique considerations due to the increasing number of devices that are limited in terms of bandwidth (network constrained), user interface (UI constrained), and power consumption (power constrained). Network constrained and UI constrained devices present particular and significant challenges, as they cannot be optimally managed using the existing GSMA Consumer and M2M Specifications for Remote SIM Provisioning.

For example, the M2M Specification requires an SMS or HTTPS connection for profile downloads and management, which network-constrained devices cannot support. Similarly, many IoT devices lack a UI to enable an end-user to trigger or approve a profile download (as is required by the Consumer Specification).

Another challenge associated with the M2M Specification is the complex integration processes between different operators, which makes it difficult to switch profiles between providers. While this model works for verticals such as automotive, its inflexibility is unsuited for IoT use-cases. For example, an asset tracker in a shipping container needs to be able to connect to different operators across jurisdictions. Device manufacturers may also not always know the deployment locations of their products. Consequently, during production, they are required to select an operator and establish multiple production lines to address various geographies. The Consumer Specification offers a more streamlined approach, but the limitations of UI constrained devices demands a simpler model dedicated to the IoT.

Introducing GSMA’s eSIM for IoT Specifications

The industry has recognised that enhancing the eSIM infrastructure to meet these specific IoT requirements is crucial and, in response, GSMA has worked with industry stakeholders to develop and publish the eSIM for IoT Specifications (SGP.31 and SGP.32).

The new specifications build upon proven elements of the existing Consumer Specifications, while introducing new, dedicated features to address specific IoT considerations. This includes:

eSIM IoT Remote Manager (eIM): The eIM is a standardised, remote provisioning tool that enables profiles to be downloaded and managed on a single IoT device or a fleet of devices. This removes the requirement for direct consumer interaction or complex, inflexible integrations, simplifying IoT deployments at scale. The eIM also supports lightweight communication protocols to address network-constrained devices.

IoT Profile Assistant (IPA): Within the Consumer Specification, a feature called the Local Profile Assistant (LPA) enables users to download a profile from the operator’s eSIM Subscription Manager platform (known as the SM-DP+). The IoT Profile Assistant (IPA) replaces the LPA used within the Consumer Specification and provides the functions that enable the eSIM to be remotely managed using the existing SM-DP+ platform infrastructure.

Lightweight IoT Minimal Profile: TCA’s Interoperable Profile Package Specification – which is used in every eSIM deployed in the field – standardises the format used for the remote loading of subscriptions onto eSIMs across deployed devices. This enables mobile operators to load interoperable connectivity profiles in an eSIM, regardless of the SIM vendor.

A key update in Version 3.3 of TCA’s Interoperable Profile Package Specification is the definition of a ‘lightweight’ IoT minimal profile to address the growing challenge of remotely managing network constrained IoT devices.

This makes it possible to provision a profile even when bandwidth is very limited, which is crucial to supporting the growing use of eSIM technology to support constrained devices and enable various IoT use-cases and connectivity services. Given these benefits, Version 3.3 is referenced in SGP.32.

Advancing eSIM for IoT

The publication of a dedicated standard for remotely provisioning and managing IoT devices promises to accelerate the adoption of eSIM technology. While it will take some time for the first fully compliant solutions to be launched, Kaleido Intelligence anticipates that over half of active eSIMs across IoT deployments will be compliant with the new specification by 2028.

As deployments scale, TCA is committed to bringing together leading industry stakeholders to shape the ongoing standardisation and enhancement of eSIM technology and the supporting infrastructure. This includes continuing to be a key contributor to GSMA to further guide and support the development of its eSIM-related specifications and testing processes.

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Telit Cinterion’s new end-to-end, turnkey IoT solution will feature 3GPP Release-17 NB-IoT-over-NTN compliant modules with hybrid cellular and satellite connectivity services
New partnership will provide transportation, logistics, agriculture, mining and other verticals with seamless, ubiquitous connectivity based on floLIVE’s global cellular infrastructure, which acts as the backbone to worldwide connectivity and is complemented by Skylo’s satellite service — even in remote areas

Telit Cinterion, an end-to-end IoT solutions enabler, today announced a solution featuring cellular and satellite connectivity services on its ME910G1 and ME310G1 modules.

In partnership with floLIVE and Skylo Technologies, the new solution ensures that mobile assets — shipping containers, agricultural equipment, trucks, and other high-value assets — are continually trackable and monitored anywhere on earth, from cities and rural highways to deserts and oceans.

The new Telit Cinterion solution is ideal for enterprises in transportation, logistics, construction, mining, agriculture and other verticals whose mission- and business-critical applications require guaranteed global connectivity with their mobile assets. The solution will provide OEMs, system integrators, and enterprises with a turnkey, end-to-end suite featuring:

Telit Cinterion cellular LPWA module that is fully compliant with the new 3GPP R17 NB-IoT over non-terrestrial network (NTN) standard. This will enable satellite data communication using the NB-IoT protocol — without any special hardware changes required for the integration of the cellular module in the customer application.
Telit Cinterion cellular and satellite data service plans, as well as a connectivity management portal. This drastically simplifies access to global connectivity with unique, centralized support and an advanced monitoring platform for full control of device fleets.
Satellite connectivity services from Skylo — a direct-to-device Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) operator focused on connecting anything, anywhere — in conjunction with floLIVE — the creator and owner of the world’s first and largest hyperlocal global network and a leading IoT connectivity enabler.

The Telit Cinterion ME910G1 module is currently under certification and approval by Skylo, making it one of the first modules that will be commercially available for customers globally. The solution will debut in Europe and North America following the launch of the floLIVE-Skylo service in 2024.

“The ability to leverage local cellular connectivity across the globe in tandem with satellite connectivity truly opens the globe to IoT and digital transformation,” said Chen Porat, floLIVE SVP of Sales, APAC and Africa. “floLIVE offers MNOs and IoT MVNOs with a global hyperlocal infrastructure that becomes the backbone to anywhere, ‘always-on’ connectivity. This expansion into the NTN domain signifies our dedication to supporting our partners through continuous growth in carrier relations, global presence, and service offerings.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Telit Cinterion, a recognized leader in the IoT industry. This collaboration will enable us to leverage Telit Cinterion’s expertise in cellular connectivity to expand the reach and capabilities of standards-based NB-IoT-over-NTN with the Skylo solutions,” said Sriram Subramanian, Director of Product Management at Skylo. “Together, we will empower businesses across industries to unlock the true potential of connected devices and drive digital transformation on a global scale.”

“Transportation companies, logistics providers and mine operators are just three examples of enterprises that need to monitor their high-value mobile assets anywhere and everywhere on earth,” said Manish Watwani, Chief Marketing and Product Officer, Telit Cinterion.

“Our strategic partnership with Skylo and floLIVE meets that need by providing the world’s first turnkey package of hardware and seamless, ubiquitous, global connectivity that leverages the best of cellular and satellite — all based on the new 3GPP R17 NB-IoT over NTN standard.”

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Hyundai Motor and Kia will link Samsung’s ‘SmartThings’ IoT (Internet of Things) platform to their connected car services
The three companies aim to break the boundaries between living spaces and mobility spaces, enhancing the time value of driving before, during and after
Customers can also experience seamless connectivity with OTA and USB-based updates

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation announced that they have signed an agreement on January 3 with Samsung Electronics for a Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car service partnership, aiming to enhance the connectivity between residential and mobility spaces.

Under this agreement, Hyundai and Kia customers will be able to remotely control digital appliances via touch and voice commands through their cars’ in-car infotainment systems. Conversely, they will have remote vehicle control via AI speakers, TVs and smartphone apps to control various vehicle functions.

This is made possible through the organic integration of Hyundai and Kia’s connected car services and Samsung’s Internet of Things (IoT) platform, ‘SmartThings’. Customers are expected to use it in various ways in their daily lives, enjoying uninterrupted connectivity experiences.

For example, on a hot summer evening commute, the user can activate the ‘Home Mode’ to turn on the registered air conditioner and air purifier, start the robot vacuum, and turn on the lights for a comfortable and pleasant living space. Alternatively, before going out, the user can initiate the ‘Away Mode’ to turn off unnecessary lights and start the robot vacuum to create a clean living space to return to, as well as pre-activate the vehicle’s air conditioning to a comfortable temperature.

In the case of Hyundai and Kia’s Car-to-Home service, users can register and use specific modes for each situation to minimize device operation while driving. In particular, location-based automatic operation, in addition to touchscreen and voice commands, will be implemented to provide more convenient service to customers.

In addition, electric vehicle owners can use SmartThings’ integrated home energy management service to check the energy usage of their home and vehicle and adjust the optimal charging times.

Hyundai and Kia plan to expand their Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services to overseas customers by linking the connected car platforms and Samsung SmartThings.

To achieve this, Hyundai and Kia will develop stable service-providing infotainment systems, and subsequently provide these features through over-the-air (OTA) and USB-based updates even for existing vehicles.

“This is an opportunity to make the connected car’s Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services more convenient in various fields,” said Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President of Hyundai and Kia’s Infotainment Development Center. “We plan to accelerate our technology development to continuously make global Hyundai and Kia customers’ journeys meaningful.”

“This collaboration will enable communication from Home-to-Car and integrated home energy management services that are optimized for future lifestyles,” said Chanwoo Park, Executive Vice President at Samsung Electronics.

“By connecting the SmartThings platform with vehicles, we’ll be able to significantly enhance the customer experience in both the home and the car.”

Meanwhile, Hyundai and Kia have already been providing Car-to-Home and Home-to-Car services through collaborations with telecommunication companies and construction companies. The Car-to-Home service — previously available for six items, including lighting, plugs, gas shut-off valves, ventilation, air conditioning and boilers — and the Home-to-Car service for vehicle air conditioning, remote start and charging management will be expanded to support connections with a wider range of devices through this partnership.

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Amid waning demand, cellular IoT module market faces another challenging quarter in Q3 2023, according to Counterpoint Research.

Despite a decline in shipments, Quectel continued to lead, followed by Fibocom and China Mobile.
The top five applications – smart meter, automotive, POS, router/CPE and telematics – accounted for over 60% of total cellular IoT module shipments.
Against the backdrop of muted demand, full-year shipments for 2023 are expected to decline by 5%.

Global cellular IoT module shipments saw a 2% YoY decline in Q3 2023, according to Counterpoint’s latest Global Cellular IoT Module and Chipset Tracker by Application report.

Weaker demand, rising interest rates and cautious spending from enterprise IoT players are some of the important factors for slowdown in this market.

For the first time, the 5G market’s share in the global cellular IoT module market crossed 5%, indicating traction for 5G adoption. However, 5G applications are currently limited due to the lack of killer use cases and higher prices. We are only witnessing early adoption in the router/CPE, PC and automotive markets.

The IoT module market is undergoing a technology transition from 4G Cat 1 and NB-IoT to 4G Cat 1 bis. The low-cost and power-efficient 4G Cat 1 bis is becoming popular for many applications, including POS, smart meter, telematics and asset tracking.

Commenting on the market dynamics, Associate Director Mohit Agrawal said, “The top five applications, encompassing smart meter, automotive, POS, router/CPE and telematics, accounted for over 60% of total cellular IoT module shipments this quarter. Notably, only the smart meter and router/CPE segments observed positive growth in shipments, with other applications experiencing a decline.

India stands out as the only region to register positive growth in the global cellular IoT module market. Conversely, the market outside of China and India saw a steeper decline compared to China. Contrary to industry expectations, the market is not gaining momentum.”

Quectel, the market leader, and Telit Cinterion, one of the leading international vendors, experienced a decline in shipments. This trend mirrors the prevailing conditions in both the Chinese and global IoT module markets. However, Quectel showed a slight improvement in performance in the global market on a sequential basis.
In contrast, the other two vendors in the top five – China Mobile and Fibocom – saw positive growth. This growth was driven by smart meter, asset tracker and POS for China Mobile and router/CPE applications for Fibocom. China Mobile recently established a subsidiary, BILIN’ZHILIAN, to accelerate its module business growth.
Certain Chinese brands such as Unionman, OpenLuat and Lierda exhibited positive performance from a niche perspective. Their growth was fuelled by applications in smart meters, asset tracking and POS.

Commenting on the future outlook, Senior Research Analyst Soumen Mandal said, “Global cellular IoT module shipments are projected to experience a 5% YoY decline in 2023. However, demand revival is expected by the second half of 2024, with substantial growth predicted for 2025, coinciding with the mass adoption of 5G and 5G RedCap.”

“In the long term, the cellular IoT module market holds promise and applications such as smart meter, router/CPE, POS, automotive and asset tracking will be driving most of the growth for this market.”

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Two investment themes bookended 2023. In January, the European Union backed a $100m venture capital fund, managed by Momenta Partners. In December, Softbank announced its EUR473m ($514m) investment for a 51% stake in Cubic Telecom. This development more than drew the eye as exemplified by the analyst commentary around the high (16x) revenue to implied enterprise value multiple.

In between, the level of corporate activity in the IoT sector continued at roughly the same pace in prior years, albeit down on the years of heightened activity going back five or so years ago. There were several developments among the vendor and network operator communities, but less so among the IoT platform providers. Governments became more active with an emphasis on security and protections for the consumer sector.

Against the backdrop of 5G developments and 6G pathfinding, IoT is becoming a part of the fabric of enterprise operations and national infrastructure. Established players continue to emphasize connectivity, a relatively small portion of IoT value chains, while enterprises focus on quick-to-market solutions enabled by cloud providers and systems integrators. Both approaches risk leaving ‘system of systems’ issues for later consideration.

Investment Splash

As announced, the European Union’s VC funding effort targets Industry 5.0 or, “Industry 4.0 with-a-conscience” prospects because the Industry 4.0 movement is perceived to be overly tech-focused, and one that has failed to prioritise people and the planet. Consumer protection and sustainability are themes that reappear in other developments covered by this review.

SoftBank’s stake in Cubic Telecom drew attention for its high multiples and am implied valuation of over EUR900m for Cubic Telecom. This is a business that raised $124m over a period of some ten years. After beginning life as a company offering an over-the-air software management for M2M applications, it switched to explore the connected car space (working with Tele2) around 2014. An EUR18m investment from Audi and Qualcomm followed in 2015. SoftBank’s investment rationale into Cubic Telecom is to pioneer the future of software-defined connected vehicles. This does not look like an IoT connectivity deal given SoftBank’s 2022 equity investment into 1NCE, the latter being characterised as “the only company that can deliver global IoT”.

One insight on SoftBank’s investment can be gleaned from an even larger IoT investment from several years ago. In 2016, Cisco invested US1.4bn to acquire Jasper Wireless. Compared to Cubic Telecom, Jasper had raised a cumulative investment of $205 million over seven rounds. At the time, Cisco’s acquisition provided it with an entry point into the IoT sector as well as a channel comprising some 3,500 customers including big names such as Ford, GM, Heineken, and Boston Scientific. The acquisition seems to have helped Cisco over subsequent months as it brokered IoT deals with SalesForce.com, IBM and several mobile network operators internationally. Whether SoftBank can achieve the same market gains with Cubic Telecom remains to be seen.

With over 90% of Cubic Telecom’s revenues concentrated in Volkswagen Group, there remains a challenge to diversify the customer base. Of course, SoftBank’s relationships might help with Japanese vehicle manufacturers. This will take time and a greater investment in resources and coalition building. There should also be scope for product and service innovation involving connected car, intelligent transport, and electric vehicle charging systems. It’s worth noting that several months after its Jasper Wireless acquisition, Cisco’s continued foray into the IoT sector led to an additional $3.7bn acquisition of AppDynamics which was active in application performance monitoring, end-user monitoring and infrastructure visibility. Expanding the addressable market might be one factor in SoftBank’s investment calculus.

Incumbents’ Dynamics

Across network operators, connectivity platforms and vendors, the sharpest rise in corporate initiatives points to the ways in which vendors are trying to ease adoption and reduce the friction of developing solutions. For example, ST Microelectronics wants to make it easier to connect devices to cloud providers. It now offers microcontroller software and developer tools targeting Microsoft’s Azure IoT Hub and AWS cloud. ST Microelectronics also partnered with CommScope to integrate the latter’s PKIWorks IoT security platforms to align with align with the Connectivity Standards Alliance’s Matter standard. Making adoption easy applies to another strategic incumbent, Qualcomm. It launched a new platform called Qualcomm Aware comprising Qualcomm silicon and an ecosystem of hardware and software partners all wrapped in a cloud-friendly bundle to simplify the process of “getting into the IoT game”.

Mobile and low-power network operators continued at about the same level of corporate activity as 2022 with two themes apparent. One involved the launch of solutions for distinct verticals. In the utilities sector, for example, Vodafone launched its Water Metering solution for water management companies. Also targeting the water sector, UnaBiz (formerly SigFox) entered into a strategic partnership with KAIFA, a utility sector business digitalisation solution provider. In Australia, Telstra launched an end-to-end industrial automation capability, following its acquisition of industrial IoT providers Aqura Technologies and Alliance Automation. AT&T, one of the forerunners of the IoT industry even decided to relaunch its old “Connected Solutions” business unit. Beginning with connected cars, it wants to help customers navigate the 5G and IoT, by putting dedicated technology and sales executives alongside each other instead of separating them across different AT&T units.

The other theme involved horizontal, or extended connectivity, initiatives. Some of these combined licensed and unlicensed terrestrial network providers (e.g., Bouygues with Netmore Group, UnaBiz with The Things Industries to interwork SigFox and LoRa technologies). Others involved the combination of terrestrial and satellite communications means (e.g., Sateliot with Transatel, Skylo with Telefonica, EchoStar with the Things Industries and, Intelsat with Deutsche Telekom).

Platform providers were less in evidence as far as corporate initiatives are concerned. A marketing report by Analysys Mason for floLive, one of several to publish on eSIM and iSIM developments, suggested industry motivations are driven by a strategy of embedding connectivity earlier in the IoT value chain. For 2023, the requirements associated with this industry change, focused on flexible connectivity, outweighed M&A and platform innovation developments.

Government’s Growing Role

As the sector grows, IoT offerings are starting to expose externalities that purely market-based systems are not geared up to address. That is one explanation for the EU getting involved in VC funding for people and planet issues as noted earlier. In Scotland, the government sees the nation as expanding in a global market valued at $600bn. The country is investing in an innovation hub targeting IoT and related technologies such as sensing and imaging to help Scottish businesses explore opportunities “presented through advanced digital technologies”.

Cybersecurity and consumer protection are other areas where governments can address adverse externalities and set a positive path forward through regulatory and certification measures. For example, the UK government is enacting regulations for Security Requirements for Relevant Connectable Products targeting password management, vulnerability disclosures and software update support. In the USA, the Biden-Harris Administration announced a cybersecurity certification and labelling program via a “U.S. Cyber Trust Mark” to help consumers choose among smart devices that are safer and less vulnerable to cyberattacks. In Asia, the governments of Singapore and South Korea launched an initiative to develop a mutual recognition of IoT security certification schemes. These developments expose market gaps that individual companies and industry alliances are ill-positioned or unwilling to address.

Watching the Horizon

Whether they are labelled opportunities or challenges, other market gaps will shape the IoT industry over 2024 and beyond. Professional media sites such as LinkedIn and Medium are starting to fill up with individuals offering their IoT implementation services, a sure sign that supply and demand are rising up a notch.

Connectivity continues to dominate. To borrow a 1990’s marketing phrase that was commonly applied to sell the commercial Internet, connectivity is analogous to the ‘on-ramp’ for the IoT. However, connectivity represents one of a growing number of elements that contribute to an IoT solution. As the population of connected devices grows it will require both a structured framework and a suite of management services to interoperate at scale. This might emerge as the communications and cloud industries converge on 3GPP planning and a shift in emphasis to massive machine type (mMTC) use cases.

Governments and society are coming to terms that easy access to the Internet results in an asymmetric relationship between users and infrastructure and application providers. As an illustration of the challenges ahead, the Matter protocol set out to make connectivity simple and straightforward for consumers. While homeowners can mix and match devices from a growing ecosystem of suppliers, they still have to choose a home platform for management functions. This element, sitting above the connectivity layer seems to be dysfunctional and not just in a technical sense. As one reviewer put it, “now that Matter is here, these companies are wholly unmotivated to ensure their platforms work well with their direct competitors”. This is an appealing business scenario for system integrators and large platform (or ‘gatekeepers’ in competition law terminology) providers. The supply side of the industry will need to address issues of security, interoperability, certification and possibly data rights now that the wheels of government are rolling.

Another facet of the connectivity discussion is about interworking. How will deployments in large spaces function when they combine wide-area (cellular, satellite) and short-range devices (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Zigbee)? Edge computing concepts are applicable so that gateways aggregate short-range connectivity devices, for example. However, there is still a need for additional functionality to provide oversight and management functions and to make these capabilities appealing to developer communities. This dynamic will persist as the number of connected devices grows because many of these will be constrained by factors such as their energy envelope, power budget and sleep-modes of operation. Expect to see an extension of GSMA and TMForum efforts to define APIs that make intelligent management functions accessible to IoT system operators and developers.

A final observation relates to the scope of IoT. Many associate the term with connectivity and connected devices, as if connectivity is the biggest hurdle to overcome. Business users have progressed beyond connectivity and are increasingly adding IoT data management and remote-control capabilities as they deploy solutions for priority or business-critical use cases. Over the longer term, however, users will need to view IoT through a ‘system of systems’ lens. There will be situations that require cross-silo interoperability involving multiple IoT solutions and service providers working together. In addition to business model innovation, the technical challenges associated with improved decision-making will rely on making IoT work with digital twins as well as AI and ML algorithms in a systematic way. Today’s quick and easy solution is to concentrate IoT data in a cloud environment where all processing, intelligence and reporting are centralized. However, quite apart from ceding value to the cloud provider, there will be longer-term requirements for data provenance tracking and causal reasoning that call for bi-directional data flows. The proliferation of constrained IoT devices will call for edge processing and the coordination of distributed information processing and intelligence. These are reasons why notions of IoT connectivity and solutions, in multi-stakeholder settings, need to embrace system of systems approaches.

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Nokia Drone Networks, available for purchase, lease or one-off flight hire are bundled with compelling services delivering lower cost of ownership so more enterprises and service providers can take advantage of industrial drones.
Nokia and its partners within the private wireless space, such as DXC Technology, will collaborate with regulators and the industry ecosystem for flight approvals to achieve drone innovation and safety.
Backed by 4G/LTE and 5G connectivity for safe, reliable and Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations, NDN will allow enterprises to see fastest return on investment, when deployed with Nokia Digital Automation Cloud private wireless-as-a-Service.

Nokia announced the extension of a Drones-as-a-Service partner program with existing private wireless partners to provide Nokia Drone Networks benefits to industries in North America.

Through this collaboration, enterprises and service providers will be able to rapidly realize the capabilities of drones, in a way that meets the needs of their business as well as benefit from new use cases and revenue streams.

Enterprises can opt to purchase the Nokia Drone Networks industrial grade drone-in-a-box solution or minimize upfront capital expense by leasing, sharing or simply hiring drones for one-off or regularly scheduled flights. Nokia and the members of its partner program will offer bundled service packages tailored to the needs of enterprises, including managing data analytics or drone maintenance. The companies will also manage flight scheduling, working with relevant spectrum and airspace regulators to gain approvals, where required.

Drone service providers will benefit from being able to diversify their offering to more industries and realize new revenue streams. This is made possible through Nokia’s commitment to collaborating with industry partners, allowing users to customize the payloads, to meet their business needs.

Companies that choose to deploy or lease Nokia Drone Networks will benefit from an end-to-end solution, which has recently received certification from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for operation in North America.

Nokia Drone Networks uses public and private 4G/LTE and 5G network connectivity for the greatest reliability and safety of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. Operated remotely for one-off or scheduled flights, the solution benefits from a highly ruggedized docking station that doubles as a recharging station. This makes it possible for enterprises to rely on the solution to realize new efficiencies and capabilities such as surveillance at remote facilities, environmental or stockpile monitoring at a mine, managing inspections in hazardous locations or for public safety search and rescue operations.

Deployed in conjunction with Nokia Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) and Nokia MX Industrial Edge at their campus network, enterprises will be able to leverage robust, reliable connectivity, service predictability and the ability to process data obtained from the drones in real-time, on-premises to open the door to an array of innovative use cases and accelerate their return on investment.

Stephan Litjens, Vice President of Enterprise Campus Edge Solutions at Nokia, says: “We are pleased to leverage our existing private wireless partnerships, such as the one with DXC Technology to offer Drones-as-a-Service to the North American market. This allows us to offer our innovative solution in a way that meets the complex needs of any enterprise or industry. Through our work with partners across all regions, we’ll maintain a strong collaboration with spectrum and airspace regulators and the ecosystem to ensure we balance innovation with safety for customer flights.”

While visiting Nokia in Espoo, to witness the Drone use cases firsthand, the DXC Team stated: “We want our customers to book a drone flight with the simplicity of hailing a ride-share. Enterprises will benefit from simplicity, leveraging a complete FCC certified drone-in-a-box solution provided by a single vendor without headaches as we manage the flight approval for them working with the relevant authorities. They can adopt drones however it makes sense for their business. And those that choose to deploy the drone-in-a-box solution alongside Nokia DAC private wireless will leverage the greatest capabilities, unlocking new use cases for the fastest return on investment.”

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